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Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S5W-10849

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 21 August 2017
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 18 September 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the report in The Sunday Times on 20 August 2017 that Scottish Enterprise has exhausted its Research and Development Grants budget for 2017-18.

Demand for support from all Scottish Enterprise's (SE) R&D schemes over the last few years has been hugely successful with business R&D funding increasing from £14m in 2014 to more than £22m in 2017. Despite the pressures this has placed on SE's resources all their R&D programmes remain open. The high and growing leave of demand for the funding to support business – led research and development projects is a positive sign that efforts to simulate innovation are proving effective.

The Scottish Government recognises the clear importance of R&D support and how vital this is to businesses and to the competitiveness of business and our economy as a whole. That is why I am delighted that the First Minister announced on 31 August that £45m of additional funding will be provided by the Scottish Government to our enterprise agencies to support business R&D projects over the next three years.

Question reference: S5W-10846

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 21 August 2017
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 18 September 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many Scottish Enterprise Research and Development grants have been awarded to companies that are (a) based in and (b) planning to set up in Scotland (i) in each of the last five years and (ii) since April 2017, broken down by (A) sector, (B) location and (C) amount awarded.

Question reference: S5O-01253

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 September 2017
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 14 September 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to address the reported decrease in labour productivity.

Scotland’s labour productivity growth has outstripped the UK’s in recent years. GDP per hour worked has increased by 7.6% in Scotland since 2007, compared to 0.6% for the UK as a whole.

The Scottish Government is taking action to support the Scottish economy’s productivity, in line with the priorities set out in our Economic Strategy and our Labour Market Strategy, which underpins all our ambitions for Scotland’s labour market.

These include initiatives to help strengthen the skills of the Scottish workforce, such as the £10 million pilot Flexible Workforce Development Fund I launched last week, and the Individual Training Account scheme, which will help equip people with the right skills to participate in the labour market.

This investment in upskilling will assist the workforce to be better equipped for social and economic demand and support improved productivity.

We are also committed to paying the real Living Wage, and promoting it to all employers, and we are supporting access to flexible working, through initiatives such as the Family Friendly Working Scotland Partnership and Carers Positive scheme.

These measures contribute to reduced absenteeism, better retention, and improved staff morale, all of which help enhance productivity.

Question reference: S5W-10729

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 14 August 2017
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 6 September 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of the (a) Highlands and Islands and (b) Scottish Enterprise (i) revenue and (ii) capital budget has supported (A) co-operatives, (B) employee-owned organisations and (C) mutuals in each of the last five financial years.

Question reference: S5W-10724

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 14 August 2017
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 31 August 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how much has been invested by the Scottish Co-investment Fund in each of the last five years in (a) PLCs, (b) companies limited by guarantee, (c) charities, (d) co-operatives, (e) mutual and (f) other designations.

Question reference: S5W-10722

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 14 August 2017
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 31 August 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what financial support has been provided by its agencies to establish (a) employee ownership and (b) community co-operatives in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S5W-10723

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 14 August 2017
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 31 August 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) organisations and (b) people have received financial support from Co-operative Development Scotland to help facilitate the transfer of a company or entity into an employee-owned or a co-operative venture in each of the last four years.

Financial support to facilitate the transfer of businesses and other entities to employee owned is provided by Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise rather than from the budget of Co-operative Development Scotland.

Therefore this is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. I have asked Lena Wilson, Chief Executive of Scottish Enterprise, to contact you directly with the information you have requested.

Question reference: S5W-10719

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 14 August 2017
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 31 August 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) co-operatives, (b) employee-owned organisations and (c) mutuals have received (i) advice and (ii) financial support from (A) Highlands and Islands and (B) Scottish Enterprise in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S5W-10721

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 14 August 2017
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 31 August 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what the budget for Co-operative Development Scotland is for 2017-18 and has been in each of the last four years.

Question reference: S5W-10720

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 14 August 2017
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 31 August 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many companies have received advice from Co-operative Development Scotland in each of the last five years.